Copper-catalyzed dimerization fragmentation cyclization reactions of (E)-1-en-4-yn-3-ols as a versatile approach for the synthesis of multisubstituted 1H-cyclopenta[b]naphthalenes

An intermolecular condensation reaction of 1,3,5-triarylenynols catalyzed by copper is developed. This reaction is a straightforward method for the synthesis of highly conjugated 1H-cyclopenta[b]naphthalene. Fluorescent properties have been determined for some of the products.     

Electrophile-driven regioselective synthesis of functionalized quinolines

Highly substituted 3-iodoquinolines bearing different alkyl and aryl moieties can be synthesized in moderate to excellent yields (up to 99%) by 6-endo-dig iodocyclization of 2-tosylaminophenylprop-1-yn-3-ols with molecular iodine (I(2)) under mild conditions. The cyclization is highly regioselective and the resulting 3-iodoquinolines can be further functionalized by various coupling reactions.     

Influence of chitosan and epoxy cross-linking on physical properties of binary blends

In this study, blends of chitosan (Cs) and bisphenol-F-diglycidyl ether (3.80 × 10^?3 to 3.80 × 10^?2 mol) were cast by the solution route. FT-IR results suggested that chitosan was cross-linked at terminal amino groups through diepoxide linkage. The chitosan films became less flexible and stiffer upon reaction with epoxy. Blending improved percentage elongation (31%) and toughness (10 MPa), whereas Young’s modulus (145 MPa) and tensile strength (45 MPa) were decreased. Extent of weight loss in Cs/BPFDGE was lower (15%) than that of original precursors (chitosan 33%). Moreover, blending of chitosan with BPFDGE increased water absorption properties due to generation of hydrophilic ?OH groups.     

Magnetic nanoparticles (Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> &amp; Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>) and their applications in urea biosensing

Nanobiotechnology has opened a new and exciting opportunities for exploring urea biosensor based on magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) mainly Fe₃O₄ and Co₃O₄. These NPs have been extensively exploited to develop biosensors with stability, selectivity, reproducibility and fast response time. This review gives an overview of the development of urea biosensor based on Fe₃O₄ and Co₃O₄ for in vitro diagnostic applications along with significant improvements over the last few decades. Additionally, effort has been made to elaborate properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in biosensing aspects. It also gives details of recent developments in hybrid nanobiocomposite based urea biosensor.     

Ginsenoside Rb1 Mitigates Escherichia coli Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Endometritis through TLR4-Mediated NF-κB Pathway

Endometritis is the inflammatory response of the endometrial lining of the uterus and is associated with low conception rates, early embryonic mortality, and prolonged inter-calving intervals, and thus poses huge economic losses to the dairy industry worldwide. Ginsenoside Rb1 (GnRb1) is a natural compound obtained from the roots of Panax ginseng, having several pharmacological and biological properties. However, the anti-inflammatory properties of GnRb1 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged endometritis through the TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway has not yet been researched. This study was planned to evaluate the mechanisms of how GnRb1 rescues LPS-induced endometritis. In the present research, histopathological findings revealed that GnRb1 ameliorated LPS-triggered uterine injury. The ELISA and RT-qPCR assay findings indicated that GnRb1 suppressed the expression level of pro-inflammatory molecules (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) and boosted the level of anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine. Furthermore, the molecular study suggested that GnRb1 attenuated TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling. The results demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of GnRb1 in the mouse model of LPS-triggered endometritis via the inhibition of the TLR4-associated NF-κB pathway. Taken together, this study provides a baseline for the protective effect of GnRb1 to treat endometritis in both humans and animals.     

2D MXenes Nanosheets for Advanced Energy Conversion and Storage Devices: Recent Advances and Future Prospects

Since the initial MXenes were discovered in 2011, several MXene compositions constructed using combinations of various transition metals have been developed. MXenes are ideal candidates for different applications in energy conversion and storage, because of their unique and interesting characteristics, which included good electrical conductivity, hydrophilicity, and simplicity of large-scale synthesis. Herein, we study the current developments in two-dimensional (2D) MXene nanosheets for energy storage and conversion technologies. First, we discuss the introduction to energy storage and conversion devices. Later, we emphasized on 2D MXenes and some specific properties of MXenes. Subsequently, research advances in MXene-based electrode materials for energy storage such as supercapacitors and rechargeable batteries is summarized. We provide the relevant energy storage processes, common challenges, and potential approaches to an acceptable solution for 2D MXene-based energy storage. In addition, recent advances for MXenes used in energy conversion devices like solar cells, fuel cells and catalysis is also summarized. Finally, the future prospective of growing MXene-based energy conversion and storage are highlighted.     

Tractors,mass, and Weyl invariance

Deser and Nepomechie established a relationship between masslessness and rigid conformal invariance by coupling to a background metric and demanding local Weyl invariance, a method which applies neither to massive theories nor theories which rely upon gauge invariances for masslessness. We extend this method to describe massive and gauge invariant theories using Weyl invariance. The key idea is to introduce a new scalar field which is constant when evaluated at the scale corresponding to the metric of physical interest. This technique relies on being able to efficiently construct Weyl invariant theories. This is achieved using tractor calculus—a mathematical machinery designed for the study of conformal geometry. From a physics standpoint, this amounts to arranging fields in multiplets with respect to the conformal group but with novel Weyl transformation laws. Our approach gives a mechanism for generating masses from Weyl weights. Breitenlohner–Freedman stability bounds for Anti-de Sitter theories arise naturally as do direct derivations of the novel Weyl invariant theories given by Deser and Nepomechie. In constant curvature spaces, partially massless theories—which rely on the interplay between mass and gauge invariance—are also generated by our method. Another simple consequence is conformal invariance of the maximal depth partially massless theories. Detailed examples for spins s?2$s?2$ are given including tractor and component actions, on-shell and off-shell approaches and gauge invariances. For all spins s?2$s?2$ we give tractor equations of motion unifying massive, massless, and partially massless theories.     

Measurements of electron density, temperature and photoionization cross sections of the excited states of neon in a discharge plasma

In the present work emission and absorption spectroscopy have been used to determine the plasma parameters of neon in a hollow cathode discharge lamp. The excitation temperature is determined using the intensity ratio method and Boltzmann's plot method whereas the electron density is determined from the Stark broadening of the spectral lines. The behavior of the optogalvanic signal as a function of laser energy has been studied for three transitions from the 2p⁵3s [1/2]₂ metastable state following ΔJ=ΔK=0, ±1 dipole selection rules. The saturation technique has been used to measure the photoionization cross section from three intermediate states 2p⁵3p′ [1/2]_1, 2p⁵3p′ [3/2]₂ and 2p⁵3p [5/2]₃ up to the 2p^{5 2}P_1/2 ionization threshold.     

Slow electron acoustic double layer (SEADL) structures in bi-ion plasma with trapped electrons

The properties of ion acoustic double layer (IADL) structures in bi-ion plasma with electron trapping are investigated by using the quasi-potential analysis. The κ-distributed trapped electrons number density expression is truncated to some finite order of the electrostatic potential. By utilizing the reductive perturbation method, a modified Schamel equation which describes the evolution of the slow electron acoustic double layer (SEADL) with the modified speed due to the presence of bi-ion species is investigated. The Sagdeev-like potential has been derived which accounts for the effect of the electron trapping and superthermality in a bi-ion plasma. It is found that the superthermality index, the trapping efficiency of electrons, and ion to electron temperature ratio are the inhibiting parameters for the amplitude of the slow electron acoustic double layers (SEADLs). However, the enhanced population of the cold ions is found to play a supportive role for the low frequency DLs in bi-ion plasmas. The illustrations have been presented with the help of the bi-ion plasma parameters in the Earth's ionosphere F-region.     

Adsorption of strontium ions from aqueous solution on Pakistani coal

Summary The adsorption of strontium ions from aqueous solution on a Pakistani coal powder has been studied as a function of shaking time, amount of adsorbent, pH, and strontium ion concentration. Conditions for the maximum adsorption of strontium ions have been established. Results reveal that the diffusion of strontium ions into the pores of coal powder occurs during the adsorption process and intra-particle diffusion controls the kinetics of the process. The Langmuir and D-R adsorption equations are valid over the entire range of studied concentration. The influence of different anions on the adsorption of strontium ions was also studied.